World Bicycle Day: Check out these weird and wonderful bikes
- Published
Let's start by being a bit vintage, shall we? Yes this is a Penny Farthing, the transport of slightly odd Victorian gentlemen with funny moustaches. But no more - this photo comes from a Russian bike fair in 2019 where the famous front wheel now has TWO wheels at the back - a Penny Tricycle or a Tuppence Farthing maybe? Anyway you're much less likely to fall off though.
Speedy bikes next and this is Neil Campbell who reached more than 174 mph after being released from the back of a car on an airfield runway - that's fast! Neil said he was "thrilled and relieved" to achieve his record beating one set back in 1995.
Now should you cycle on the road or the pavement? Well how about on the water?! These people in Germany are having a wunderbar time, tootling along a river on these floating bikes. The pedals are the same as usual but instead of wheels they have underwater propellers to keep you moving along the river. Looks like fun!
And what if you could get rid of the pedals altogether? Check out this treadmill bike! 51-year-old inventor Bruin Bergmeester wanted to find a faster way to walk the 12km to his work. Unlike a scooter where you rest one foot and push with the other, this bike has a moving treadmill to power the wheels. Just because you're walking doesn't mean you can't cycle too!
Now you may be used to sitting up tall when you ride but have you ever considered lying down? That's what recumbent bikes are for. Most recumbent riders choose this design because the rider's weight is spread comfortably over a larger area, supported by their back. They are also more aerodynamics. There are loads of different kinds of recumbent bikes and this one is being ridden by Kelly Robinson of Great Britain at the Invictus Games in 2014.
Ok now we're talking. Tall bikes! Getting up that hill in London looks a bit of a challenge and it's a long way down if you fall. According to Guinness World Records, the world's tallest rideable bicycle is called the 'Stoopidtaller' which measures 6.15m and was built by Richie Trimble and measured in Los Angeles, USA in 2013.
Taking of tall bikes, this one isn't short! This rider is part of a festival in America for so-called mutant bikes. This photo was taken in 2019 when the the gathering took place in New York City. Organised by the Black Label Bike Club, members build their own bicycles for the event. The climax of the festival involves tall bike jousting!
Last up, what about a super-long bike? Yep, this is a bicycle made for 21! The pair at the front are Blue Peter presenters John Noakes and Lesley Judd from 1972, riding a special bike called 'vigintipede'. It was made for a charity ride by Littlehampton Rotary Club. The pedal power comes from 12 of the riders and the steering is done at the front, so all the rest are just along for the ride. The longest bike in the record books is actually 47.5m long, and was achieved by Bernie Ryan in Paynesville, Victoria, Australia, on 14 November 2020.
- Published13 June 2017
- Published20 August 2019
- Published19 June 2017
